Wyoming Governor Calls for Investigation into 'Aggressive' Behavior of Trump Administration's Election Monitors

Wyoming's Republican Governor, Mark Gordon, has expressed concerns over the conduct of election monitors sent by the Trump administration to observe the state's primary elections. During a recent state canvassing board meeting, Gordon called for his attorney general to investigate the monitors' "aggressive" behavior, which he described as "irregular."

The Justice Department had deployed two Civil Rights Division attorneys to Laramie County, Wyoming, which includes the state capital of Cheyenne. However, Gordon revealed that neither he nor the state attorney general were informed of this move in advance. This lack of communication was a point of contention for the governor, who found the observers' behavior to be "a bit aggressive."

According to Gordon, the Justice Department's decision to send these monitors came as a surprise to many state officials. "It sounded like the behavior of the observers was a bit aggressive," he said. "It just was irregular and, and I have asked the attorney general to start looking into the nature of the visits and all that sort of stuff."

The Justice Department, when contacted for comment, referred CNN to a statement made by Wyoming US Attorney Darin Smith on August 18. Smith emphasized the importance of voter confidence and the department's commitment to protecting every lawful vote. "Voters deserve absolute confidence that their ballots are secure and their voices are heard without interference," Smith said.

As of Tuesday, the DOJ had sent more than 80 monitors to seven states for primary elections. The department has also stated that it plans to send approximately 1,000 monitors to polling sites during the November midterm elections.

Governor Gordon's criticism of the election monitors comes amidst President Donald Trump's ongoing skepticism about the integrity of elections. Trump has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that the 2020 election was rigged, and he has continued to sow doubt about the electoral process.

This is not the first time concerns have been raised about the role of election monitors. Democrats and voting rights activists expressed concerns last year that these monitors could be used to undermine the voting process or to plant doubts about the election's outcome. Despite these concerns, the Trump administration maintained that the monitors were being sent out in accordance with long-standing federal monitoring practices.

Governor Gordon himself is not against the idea of election monitors. However, he raised concerns about the "behavior" of the monitors deployed to Wyoming, suggesting that their actions seemed to exceed the authority granted to them by Congress. "I'm not saying anything went wrong or anything else, and I certainly think that the conduct of this election was phenomenal," Gordon said. "But, I don't like the federal government coming in and taking our votes."

The situation in Wyoming highlights the ongoing tensions between state and federal authorities over the conduct of elections. As the midterm elections approach, these tensions are likely to increase, with both sides continuing to scrutinize the process and the actions of those involved.